The 2025-26 season is just around the corner, so now is a good time to look at The Hockey News' Yearbook that was released just last month.
One of the best pieces in the yearbook is when the THN staff predict where each of the 32 teams will finish. So, for the San Jose Sharks fans, here is the THN's prediction for the tram and where they will finish in the Pacific Division.
Check out the excerpt below and consider subscribing right now to get a copy of the yearbook here. There's never been a better time.
Since being hired as the San Jose Sharks' GM in 2022, Mike Grier has preached patience as he dismantled the roster and laid the foundation for future success. Now, after another busy off-season, Grier is confident the Sharks' days as cellar dwellers have come to an end.
The Sharks finished 2024-25 with an NHL-low 52 points, marking the second consecutive year they ve been at the bottom of the standings. No NHL team scored fewer goals per game (2.54) or allowed more (3.78). However, the Sharks are hoping that growth from their younger players, combined with the addition of several veterans, will lead to significant improvement.
OFFENSE
Macklin Celebrini led the Sharks in scoring as a rookie last season with 63 points in 70 games, and he will be counted on to lead the offense again. Celebrini will be supported in the top six by fellow youngsters Will Smith and William Eklund, returning veterans Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg and free-agent addition Jeff Skinner. The Sharks traded their top offensive defenseman - Jake Walman - to Edmonton in March but feel they have a capable replacement in John Klingberg, who was with the Oilers during their run to the final. Klingberg, who will likely quarterback the Sharks' top power-play unit, said his body feels as good now as it has in years after he spent more than a year working his way back from double hip-resurfacing surgery.
DEFENSE
Improving the D-corps was Grier's top priority this off-season. Gone from the blueline are Walman, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Jan Rutta, Cody Ceci and Henry Thrun, replaced by free-agent signings Klingberg and Dmitry Orlov and waiver claim Nick Leddy. Orlov, Klingberg, Leddy and Mario Ferraro, now the Sharks' longest-tenured player, will comprise the top four, with Shakir Mukhamadullin, Timothy Liljegren and Vincent Desharnais also in the mix. The wild card for the Sharks is Sam Dickinson, the 11th-overall pick from 2024, who had an outstanding season with the OHL's London Knights. Having turned 19 in June, Dickinson will have to go back to the OHL if he doesn't earn a Sharks roster spot in camp. But the Sharks will make room for Dickinson if he shows he's ready.
30 Days Until Opening Day: The Sharks' History of Number 30
We are just 30 days away from the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks">San Jose Sharks</a> opening their season at the SAP Center against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights">Vegas Golden Knights</a> on Oct. 9 at 10 p.m.
GOALTENDING
The Sharks' top three goalies from last season, Mackenzie Blackwood, Alexandar Georgiev and Vitek Vanecek, are all gone. Not a surprise since the Sharks had the league's 30th-best save percentage at .881. But the Sharks feel they finally have someone to build around in Yaroslav Askarov, who appears ready for a full-time NHL role. They also acquired Alex Nedeljkovic from the Penguins, and Grier wants to see competition between the two.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Sharks had the 26th-ranked power play (18.6 percent) and the 27th-ranked penalty kill (74.2 percent) last season, marking a regression in both areas from the year before. The hope is some added familiarity between Celebrini, Smith, Toffoli and Eklund, along with the additions of Skinner and Klingberg, will help. There are openings on the second PP unit, with the likes of Orlov, Liljegren, Wennberg and even Collin Graf battling for time. The PK ranked 10th at 80.9 percent at the end of November, but things fell apart after Blackwood was traded in early December. So, not surprisingly, goaltending will be key in getting the kill back to respectability.
Former Sharks Forward Signs PTO With Nashville
Former San Jose Sharks forward Dylan Gambrell has signed a professional tryout with the Nashville Predators, per <a href="https://x.com/ADiMarco25/status/1965140273694126416">Anthony Di Marco</a> of Daily Faceoff.
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Clowe Signs With New York Rangers Day After Sharks Resignation
Former Sharks assistant general manager Ryane Clowe has been given the same role with the New York Rangers it was announced on Monday morning.
From the Archive: Sharks Cut Veterans Loose; Rouse, Craven on Way Out
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